A number of prior art devices have been developed to address the animal feces and urine removal problem. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,185,355 entitled “Apparatus For Cleaning Up Animal Feces Deposits” discloses a method and apparatus for cleaning up an animal feces deposit from a situs. The device cleans up the feces by positioning an open-ended receptacle with its open end overlying and in close proximity to the animal feces deposit, providing a suction to pick up the animal feces deposit, and delivering the same into the interior of the receptacle for the receptacle to be removed from the device and discarded. This device, however, contains inherent problems relating to the removal of animal feces.
First, as the device is a very small hand held unit, the entire unit must be placed almost on the ground to properly align the nozzle opening with the feces. For a user unable to bend down due to leg or back problems, this device is useless. Also, for a user with eye sight or depth perception problems, aligning the nozzle opening with the feces will be a problem considering the device blocks the user's view from multiple angles. Second, the device requires a tube that must be attached and removed from the device multiple times during the operation of the device. For a user without sufficient hand strength, this would render the device useless. For the others, this step is an unnecessary inconvenience.
Lastly, the removal of the bag from the device presents difficulty. As illustrated, the bag is significantly larger than the diameter of the tube. Since the bag is removed through the tube, removing a bag full of feces can only be done a portion at time and the user must exercise care to prevent any feces from spilling out of the bag. If, due to the fullness of the bag it gets stuck on the rim of the tube, there is a good possibility that the bag may break causing a terrible mess within the device. Additionally, if the bag does get stuck, the user may be forced to use his or her hand to displace the feces and, thereby, dislodge the bag from being stuck to the tube. In either event, removing the bag from the device is cumbersome and creates potential problems during every use.
For example the vacuum and disposal system for the collection and disposal of animal feces disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,003,846 consists of a vacuum, a vacuum tube, a flexible hose, and an intake tube. The vacuum is created by an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery and is used to create a suction through the vacuum tube, the flexible hose, and the intake tube to collect the animal feces. A cartridge is inserted into the intake tube to receive the animal feces collected. After collection, a slide mechanism, a bracket, a guide, a cable, spring loaded hinges, and a rotating support frame to enable the vacuum and disposal system to be converted into an unload position for the removal of the cartridge from the intake tube and the ultimate disposal of the animal feces. Alternatively, a compact vacuum and disposal system may be used in smaller areas.
The devices in the prior art address some of the issues however none disclose the easy removal of the collected waste without user contact, portability and the volume to accumulate a sufficient amount of waste.